D1 Semis Showdown: #2 Rice vs #3 St. Johnsbury

This one was a toss-up coming in and it felt like a toss-up until the final minutes. These two split the season series and this game showed just how razor thin the difference was. In a back-and-forth affair with multiple highlight plays, this one went down to the wire. Check out who stood out below.   [player_tooltip player_id='2547032' first='Dallas' last='St. Peter'], 5'11 G - Rice Memorial H.S. Class of 2025   I saw Dallas act surgically to dissect St. J's zone. St. Peter's ability to engage multiple defenders, pass out of it, and ultimately bend the defense created clean looks all around. Plus, Dallas showed himself to be the best cutter on semifinal night. Numerous times he saw how the defense was warping and repeatedly cut wisely into holes, finishing at the rim. Plus, he found space on the perimeter to hit 3s. Defensively sound, St. Peter locked in on various guys with hustle as he made life tough. Leading Rice with an efficient 17 and four dimes, Dallas is the backbone of this team.   [player_tooltip player_id='2325785' first='Owen' last='Eaton'], 6'2 G - Rice Memorial H.S. Class of 2025   A few big things about Owen's performance stuck out to me. First, I liked how he relished a tough defensive matchup. When tagged to St. J's best player, he worked consistently to take away right hand drives and force perimeter play. Moreover, he sought to finish possessions with his intent to clean the glass, nabbing six boards. And while it wasn't his most efficient scoring night, he did operate in the short corner often (not his usual real estate), and worked his way to the FT line off his aggressive attacks and cashed 4-4. But the explosive plays were there, including a huge one-hand hammer in the 3rd quarter. VT's most explosive scorer showed his versatility in this one.   [player_tooltip player_id='2325800' first='Evan' last='Eaton'], 6'2 G - Rice Memorial H.S. Class of 2025   Evan operated as the PG on this guard heavy front and in doing so provided the distribution necessary to get guys rolling. His six dimes aided in the dissection of the zone defense as he drew multiple defenders, read rotations, and picked passes. Plus, his selective 2-4 3pt shooting provided the spacing to pull defenders out more than they wished. Defensively, I liked his help and rebounding effort. He provided assistance behind the defense to challenge players in the 2nd layer, and his seven boards kept a lively St. J off the offensive glass. Talented and growing as an orchestrator and a generally more well-rounded hooper.   Coleton Merchant, 6'4 F - Rice Memorial H.S. Class of 2025   On this perimeter heavy team Coleton provided the bruising and efficient interior play to balance it all out. Merchant's physicality worked to quell St. J's second layer scoring and offensive rebounding. He did so by contesting whatever came inside and aggressing on the boards, collecting a team high eight on the night. Moreover, he added six points on 3-4 shooting inside. But more impressively, he acted as an offensive hub at times, doling out five assists against the zone pressure. A role man who stepped up big time.   [player_tooltip player_id='2396750' first='Rex' last='Hauser'], 6'6 W - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2025   Hauser's impact on all aspects of the game came through with his ability to organize the offense, hit jumpers from range, make plays out of the post, finish at the cup (including one emphatic 2-hand jam), and distribute for clean looks when the double came. Rex led with his ability to create offense in those myriad ways, providing a critical 17 points and four dishes which led to much-needed 3s, and that's just the offensive end. Moreover, Rex's athletic defense and relentless hustle reeled in seven boards and a couple steals as well out of St. J's pressure zone. A hawk like presence, Rex is one of the most well-rounded players in the state.   [player_tooltip player_id='2546968' first='Kerrick' last='Medose'], 6'1 G - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2025   It was Medose who broke through in the 2nd half after early fouls had him sidelined. Regardless, Kerrick found his rhythm and gave St. J the necessary boost to jaw back and forth with Rice. Medose's keen distribution and facilitation kept everyone involved. Yet he tapped into another gear as he sought to score. His deceptive, well-paced handle and slashing was so smooth, and he converted on a handful of buttery finishes inside and a pair of 3s to keep St. J clawing. An efficient 6-11 on the night, Kerrick showcased himself as one of the more nimble guards in the 802.   Michael Rodriguez Guerrero, 6'2 G - St. Johnsbury Academy Class of 2027   When St. J's Medose was sidelined in the first half due to foul trouble, Michael stepped up. An athletic and shifty slasher, Rodriguez Guerrero worked his way into the second layer and sunk a handful of buckets to keep the Hilltoppers within a couple possessions. Moreover, Michael provided the necessary ballhandling to organize and distribute when Hauser played off-ball. An athletic and hungry rebounder out of the zone, he collected seven boards to secure single shot possessions. He's one I'll be keeping my eye on.

This one was a toss-up coming in and it felt like a toss-up until the final minutes. These two split the season series and this game showed just how razor thin the difference was. In a back-and-forth affair with multiple highlight plays, this one went down to the wire. Check out who stood out below.